Story of the 2011/12 season - Reading (h)

Having spent the weekend and the early part of the week leading up to the Reading game in Cosham the 'luxury' of no serious travel, from Devon without a car this can take its toll, was afforded me on a midweek night - you have got to love these midweek floodlit games, there is something special about them.

The build-up to the game was surrounded by 'speculation' about possible arrivals, at least an arrival of perhaps with Bari's Norwegian international forward Erik Huseklepp the main name on the agenda...

A trip to The Rutland, being picked up by Chixy, was the pre-game entertainment. Looking forward to the game, as I really was, meant that I was not 'really' with it as that, and thoughts of soon returning home as well, occupied my mind really. The enjoyment I get from these midweek games, along with the 'outside chance' - well at least 'outside hope' - that an announcement on a player arrival could be made meant that I made my way to the ground early with Sneakay, forgoing the offer of an extra pint from Pompeytim!

No announcement came through although it was a game well worth being in attendance of and but for better 1st half finishing we could have easily gone into the break a couple of goals up, at least and that would not have flattered us at all. An eerie uneasy feeling, and worry, of déjà vu came across me as the pattern seemed to be following that of games we had seen so many times in recent times so Dave Kitson's goal early in the 2nd half helped ease my fears.

I would have loved more goals, and some of our play in the early stages of the half deserved more, but 1-0 would be enough. We certainly deserved more though and had we got this the final 10-15 minutes or so, when we started dropping very deep, would have been much easier and far less tense - an incredible 5 minutes injury-time did little to help the old ticker either, I am not quite sure where that amount came from, but hey ho we did enough and saw it through to collect our first win of the season!

Match-winner Kitson even looked a decent player with Steve Cotterill later saying 'with that performance he's set himself a benchmark'. Well, I could not agree more. Missing chances, as frustrating as it is, is something I can, have and will accept from anyone if they 'work their socks off' and this is something Kitson has been guilty of, missing but not working hard enough, but to be fair he 'seems' to be putting in much more of a shift this season. That my friend is the 'benchmark', live up to that and his future with the club 'might' still be as bright as his hair.

All played well on the night but Jason Pearce was outstanding, more of the same from him too please!

The following day it was time to go back home, and I was looking forward to this so I could see Trina but had enjoyed a fine time away culminating in this cracking win, now lets not let this go to waste at the weekend! Bristol City will not be 'easy' of course, although they are 'there for the taking' so lets go there and offer up the same again and look to get a little run going...